Centre for Disability Law and Policy (CDLP)
Welcome to the Centre for Disability Law and Policy
The Centre for Disability Law and Policy (CDLP) is a global academic leader in research, education and community engagement whose work aims to further the vision of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in close collaboration with disabled people and their representative organisations. At CDLP, we aim to:
- Educate the next generation of scholars in disability law and justice
- Collaborate with and work to strengthen disabled people’s movements
- Research the human rights concerns of disabled people in partnership with their representative organisations
Education
The Centre for Disability Law & Policy specialises in international & comparative disability law and public policy. It has a particular interest in the activities of the United Nations & disability, the European Union & disability, and the Council of Europe & disability. It also has a special interest in specific themes, including development aid & disability, eAccessibility, independent living & de-institutionalisation, non-discrimination law & disability, and Irish disability law reform.
We offer a PhD in Disability Law & Policy and an LLM in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy, both available in full- or part-time modes.
International Disability Law Summer School
The Centre for Disability Law and Policy hosts its annual International Disability Summer School every June, bringing together students, academics, researchers, legal and policy professionals, disability advocates, practitioners, and others with an interest in disability law and policy from around the world. The Summer School provides a unique opportunity to engage with leading experts in the field, explore key developments and emerging issues in disability law and policy, and participate in discussions and activities focused on advancing the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities. Registration for the International Disability Summer School opens each January, with further information about the programme, speakers, registration process, and other details made available in advance of the event.
Research
The formation of the CDLP coincides with one of the most intensive periods of disability law reform in Ireland and internationally. The adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007 should help accelerate this worldwide trend and give it further direction. The disability action plans of both the European Union and the Council of Europe help frame the policy choices facing Ireland and other European Member States. And the Irish Government’s National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025–2030 provides a clear strategic direction and an unprecedented opportunity for rational developments in the field. The main challenge ahead is implementation, and the Centre will produce research that contributes to that process.
We place our research at the disposal of the disability community in Ireland and abroad, and we warmly welcome feedback and suggestions.
